Rankings of retirement destinations in the United States
The "best places to retire in the US" is an Idiomatic expression comprising lists of cities that are ranked (usually by Media, Opinion polls via polling organizations, or associations such as AARP) according to given Parameters like low Crime statistics and low Cost of living vs. a high Standard of living. Well known rankings include US News and World Report, CNN, CBS, AARP, Gallup (company), Forbes magazine, and Money magazine. Ranking methodologies have a mixture of subjective and statistical elements, and some surveys discount factors such as Climate, while others emphasize it. In general, things like including a College town, low Taxes, and cultural amenities increase rankings, while crime, high costs of living including housing, and difficulty bicycling or walking can lower ratings. Note that this article refers to cities, whereas some rankings focus on entire States, such as Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho, Minnesota, The Carolinas, Utah, etc., including many cities in those States.
Cities Ranked
Taking rankings for the past five years, cities mentioned in the top 25 two or more years, and cited as such in their respective Wiki articles with sources, citations and references, (in alphabetical order to avoid Wiki opining on methodology or rank), include:
-- Abilene, Texas -- Atascocita, Texas -- Austin, Texas -- Beaufort, South Carolina -- Belltown, Seattle -- Boone, North Carolina -- Boulder City, Nevada -- Bowling Green, Kentucky -- Clearwater, Florida -- Dahlonega, Georgia -- Danville, Kentucky -- Fayetteville, Arkansas -- Fayetteville, North Carolina -- Fort Collins, Colorado -- Greensburg, Pennsylvania -- Ithaca, New York -- Lawrence, Kansas -- Lincoln, Nebraska -- Logan, Utah -- Marquette, Michigan -- Pittsburgh -- Portland, Oregon -- Prescott, Arizona -- Saline, Michigan -- Santa Fe, New Mexico -- Saxony, Indiana -- Smyrna, Tennessee -- Stevens Point, Wisconsin -- Traverse City, Michigan -- Trumbull, Connecticut -- Walnut Creek, California -- Winston-Salem, North Carolina
(Click on any city link above to be taken to the full Wikipedia article on that city).
Trade Offs
Since "best" is subjective, relative, and may involve stereotypical elements in rankings, retirement advisors, in addition to comparing statistical measurement standards like cost of living, standards of living, crime statistics, cultural amenities, recreation, etc., also use Trade-off analysis to narrow and compare options and parameters. For example, living in a less populated area might trade off against essential services or convenient transportation. Living in a rural area might trade off against closer medical facilities. Climate might trade off against financial considerations. These trade-offs moderate the stereotypical idea that there are any perfect or best places, since even objective parameters like crime rates or cost of living CONTRAST to individual, subjective considerations in these trade offs, such as a particular disability or need requiring a particular kind of care near a candidate location. Importantly, 98% of people 65 or older retire in the same location they are living at that age, due to many factors, including nearness to parents, children and grandchildren; area familiarity; and financial and psychological costs of moving.
See also
- Cities and metropolitan areas of the United States
- List of U.S. states by Gini coefficient
- List of Highest-income places in the United States
- Retirement
- Simple living
- Downshifting
- Pension
- Ageing
- Mandatory retirement
- Gerontology
- Social security
- Retirement spend down
- Asset/liability modeling